What's it Like?

[Carolyn]

Please won't you all tell me about what it's like moving to Sweden? There are so many things that you take for granted about your habits and ways of life, and of course I can't see what's special (different, strange) about living in Sweden since I've lived here (nearly) all my life.

I'll go first, since everybody here for any time knows what a chatty person I am anyway.

I have to say that I didn't find too much in Sweden (other than the language) that was terribly different for me. But you have to understand that I am the granddaughter of Swedish emigrants to the US, and my mom didn't even speak much English until she was about 6 years old, because they lived in the woods surrounded by other Swedes.

I grew up hearing about (not eating) lutfisk for Jul, my mom's homemade potatiskorv at Jul, and saying "tack for maten" after meals (the only Swedish my mom really remembered. I played dress-up (silly me now) in my mormor's folk costume. I had relatives named Walter, Lennart, Karl, Johan, Beda, Stina, Greta and Arvid, among others.

I learned that you didn't talk a whole lot, but that didn't mean you didn't have intense feelings deep inside. I learned that nothing wrong couldn't be eased by a good cup of coffee and a gingersnap (pepparkakor) or a fresh-baked bulle. I thought everybody (at least until I was 9 and we moved east) had names like Gustafsson, Johansson and Lundstrom.

So when I moved to Sweden when I was nearly 50 years old, all I really had to worry about was would my step-children (16 and 18 at the time) like me and how quickly I could learn the language.

I have to admit that other than the work situation, which has now taken care of itself very nicely, I took to life in Sweden like a duck takes to water. I love my dearest husband, my two lovely step-children, who are so good to me, my bike, my better health, my lovely town of Örebro, the relatives I have met and the friends I have made since I got there.

Maybe if anything, I don't understand why so many beautiful girls dye their hair that harsh black or the particular shade of red that so many older ladies use. I also don't particularly care for a lot of Swedish fashion, especially since that is all you are able to find in the stores, but that's a matter of personal taste, not something wrong with the country or people.

I think it's a shame so many young kids snus, but then I remember the smell of snus from my morfar, so it doesn't disgust me, I just think it's a dirty habit. Not to mention cancer of the mouth, which one of my uncles got and had to have radiation for.

You Swedes aren't always easy to know at first, you're shy and often very quiet, but you're my ancesters and the country that bred the man I love, so hey, I'm here for the rest of my life with not too many complaints.

[AnnaNy]

Thanks Carolyn!
I'm glad you're finding life in Sweden so easy to like.
I remember that when I lived in England, I was most surprised by the fact that the parents very rarely had dinner together with their kids. In fact, many parents rarely spent a lot of time doing "normal" things together with their kids. I know that we're well off in Sweden, having Dagis etc, and that England has the tradition of nannies and boarding schools. But I find it both "unnatural" and sad that the kids lives are so separated from the parents. Having said that, I know that quite few Swedish parents stay at home with their children for more than 1-2 years.

/Anna

[Carolyn]

SOME people will tell you, Anna, that I'm just positively disgusting because I AM happy in Sweden. When I first moved there, people kept telling me, "Oh, after a while, you'll get tired of biking and picking berries and camping, it gets old." My reply was, I'm 53 years old, I've camped, picked berries, etc. for most of those 53 years, so why should I get tired now, when there's more nature and things to pick?

I CAN understand why some people don't like that life and that's okay too, but I feel like I've finally come home!

I agree with you about the lack of time spent in some countries with the children. You often ask yourself, why do they bother to have the kids? It's like that now in the States, running everywhere, nobody even has meals together much, but back when I was young, it WAS different and families sat down at a table and had meals and played games and such. My parents were very involved with us in all ways.

I love seeing the very close affection my husband and his 2 kids have and I'm happy they include me in the group as well. I've even been welcomed with love by my husband's ex-wife's parents to their gatherings.